Adjust links to images, part 2
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@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ categories:
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- Anime
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---
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A few days ago I finished watching [Mai-Otome](http://www.animenfo.com/animetitle,2034,qtsfny,mai_otome.html). The series itself was somewhat old (started in October 2005 and finished on 30th March 2006), but I got around to watch it only recently. I can say I'm satisfied with the overall result: overall Sunrise managed to create a better series than its sister, [Mai-HiME](http://www.animenfo.com/animetitle,1493,hafpby,mai_hime.html).
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@ -20,4 +20,4 @@ A few days ago I finished watching [Mai-Otome](http://www.animenfo.com/animetitl
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Recommended to anyone interested. It provides hours of enjoyment. And since this entry is the first of the new year, happy 2007 to everyone.
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@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Since almost everyone's attention is focused on _Naruto Shippuden_, not many not
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<!-- more --> The character designs are by _Sailormoon's _Kazuko Tadano, while the main mecha design and direction are by Masami Obari (_Chojushin Gravion, VIRUS Buster Serge, Garo Densetsu/Fatal Fury_).
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/snapshot20070216185046.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/02/snapshot20070216185046.png)
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@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ The episode quickly introduces the four pilots of the robot, who are basically k
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/snapshot20070216185142.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/02/snapshot20070216185142.png)
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@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ A brief explanation, and the team is sent into battle. There aren't any more lar
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/snapshot20070216185233.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/02/snapshot20070216185233.png)
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@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ As a matter of fact, it manages pretty well, as it tackles an enemy mech:
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/snapshot20070216185258.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/02/snapshot20070216185258.png)
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@ -13,24 +13,24 @@ categories:
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I've watched the second episode of Dancougar Nova, titled _Choju Gasshin!_ yesterday. The animation quality is on a good level (after _Gravion_ I wasn't so sure) throughout the episode, aside a couple of hiccups here and there.<!-- more -->We get to see the crew moving permanently to the base, and they get their "regular" combat outfits:
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/novaii_1.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/02/novaii_1.png)
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Again there isn't much time for explanations because when the group is in front of chief Tanaka, an alarm sounds _exactly_ when the good questions are made, so everyone is sent into battle. We get to see some of the mecha forms of the single parts of Dancougar, as long as the animal forms (something in common with its predecessor). Of course at a certain point it's time to form the main mecha, so there's the _Choju Gasshin_ sequence.
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/novaii_4.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/02/novaii_4.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/novaii_3.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/02/novaii_3.png)
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Last but not least, the Dancougar Nova shows off one of its weapon, the _Danku Ho _(again this was also present in the original Dancougar, though here it looks a bit different)_:_
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/novaii_2.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/02/novaii_2.png)
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The episode ends shortly afterwards, with a sort of cliffhanger. I'm surely curious to see what's next, though I hope the characters will get a little more depth (it's a mecha show, I don't expect too much, but just a bit more than now).
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@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Last week (this should show how behind I am in writing things) I watched the thi
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<!-- more -->
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/novaiii_1.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/03/novaiii_1.png)
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@ -25,19 +25,19 @@ After picking up after the cliffhanger of episode 2, this one gives (like the ot
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/novaiii_2.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/03/novaiii_2.png)
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After a more detailed explanation on the duties of Team D, the group is again briefed by Tanaka and then sent off on another mission, in a now destroyed town where heavy fighting is taking place.
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/novaiii_3.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/03/novaiii_3.png)
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This is a good excuse to show the "humanoid mode" of the various parts of the Dancougar. As usual it's almost an one-sided battle as the enemy units are no match for them at all. Then the commander changes his "Genocidron into grappler mode" and the Dancougar forms (same sequence as episode 2). After a brief intermission with a group of children who want to fight for their own country, we get to see another weapon of the Dancougar, the _Danku Ken _(after an explicit order from the mysterious man behind the organization, F.S.):
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/novaiii_4.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/03/novaiii_4.png)
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This is almost the only well animated part of this episode (I'll get to that shortly): basically the Dancougar pulls out a sword and cuts the Genocidron in two (while the commander miracolously manages to escape). Then, while the children are cheering the robot, the Dancougar turns back and leaves, much to their disappointment, because it can not take sides.
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@ -15,13 +15,13 @@ Today I decided to give the new [Oxygen](http://oxygen-icons.org) icon theme (th
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<!-- more --> However, since Oxygen recently moved to the naming specification set by the [Tango Project](http://tango.freedesktop.org/Tango_Desktop_Project), some icons weren't replaced. I had to modify the icons in the toolbars manually. Here is how my Konqueror looks right now (I disabled previews to show the icons), but keep in mind that the set is nowhere near finished, and probably not even meant to be installed on KDE 3.x:
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/oxygen2.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/03/oxygen2.png)
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And another screenshot, showing more icon types:
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/oxygen1.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/03/oxygen1.png)
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While it's still a work in progress, I can say I really like the new icons, they have a better feel than old Crystal. Also, the Oxygen Team, unlike Everaldo with Crystal, has chosen a license for their artwork ([CC BY-SA 3.0](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)) and also provides the full SVG sources (and most of them are done with [Inkscape](http://inkscape.org/), which is FOSS).
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@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ categories:
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Just something different, for a change. I got up this morning and on one of my windows I saw this:
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/026.JPG)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/03/026.JPG)
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(for the record, those are my two cats, Minou on the left and Matisse on the right)
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@ -15,19 +15,19 @@ And so again, I watched last week (yes, I am behind) the fourth episode of _Danc
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<!-- more -->The episode starts with Kurara being a target for assassination (she has made several enemies in the police), but then the focus shifts to the Dragon's Hive where all the pilots are present (almost equal screen time for everyone even in this episode).
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/novaiv_1.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/03/novaiv_1.png)
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Ruriruri does her best to fulfill her role as counsellor, and as a matter of fact she talks with Kurara, and we get a flashback of why she decided to enter in the police (the _usual_ childhood drama, I'd say).
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/novaiv_3.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/03/novaiv_3.png)
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While the team is still pondering over what they did in the previous episode (they left immediately after balancing the battle, earning angry shouts from a group of children), the alarm sounds and they're dispatched somewhere again to aid the weak and level the battle. In this episode they support guys with ridicolous battle armor:
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/novaiv_2.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/03/novaiv_2.png)
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Aoi has a flashback of the children in the previous episode and launches off earlier than expected, however her teammates react quickly enough as well. The Dancougar forms almost immediately and basically shows off weapons (_Danku Ho_ again), then for no apparent reason Aoi forgets that the Dancougar needs a "cooldown" period before using other weapons and tries to summon the _Danku Ken _against the usual enemy Genocidron. As it doesn't work, Kurara suggests to fight physically till the energy returns.
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@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ Aoi has a flashback of the children in the previous episode and launches off ear
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The Dancougar then kicks the enemy's behind easily, Aoi uses the _Danku Ken_, but as she's about to deliver the final blow, another Dancougar comes and kicks the sword away:
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/novaiv_4.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/03/novaiv_4.png)
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The episode ends after that. Judging from the previews, it seems that the next one will be focused on Kurara, and that (obviously) the confrontation will be postponed. Nevertheless, the series remains interesting (though I hope the staff plays their cards correctly). What I _can't_ stand, for heaven's sake, is the animation quality. It's not as bad as episode three, but drops significantly after half of the episode, and we see a deformed Dancougar move around. The credits show that part of the animation was made probably by a Chinese studio.
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@ -13,4 +13,4 @@ categories:
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You usually don't expect them to actually _appear_. Today, after a call made by my brother, was different...
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/img_0079.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/03/img_0079.png)
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@ -19,4 +19,4 @@ I thought I'd help and I used the [new dist-upgrader tool](http://wiki.kubuntu.o
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I think it's going to be an interesting release. As soon as it reaches the RC status I will also install it on my laptop. And of course, an obligatory screenshot showing my desktop and [KDevelop 3.4](http://www.kdevelop.org/) in action:
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/feisty_desktop.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/03/feisty_desktop.png)
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@ -19,25 +19,25 @@ The OP (The song is_ Secret Ambition, _performed by Nana Mizuki) already has a g
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The episode starts with a flashback in which one of the new characters (Subaru) is rescued from a fire by Nanoha. The event has quite an impact on the young Subaru, who decides to take Nanoha as a model. Cue to the present: Subaru and her friend Teana are taking an examination to raise their Magic User ranks (from C to B). The operation is supervised by two other familiar characters: Fate and Hayate.
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/strikers1.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/strikers1.png)
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The test begins, and this is also a way to show Subaru's and Teana's magic. The former uses a sort of iron punch to attack at close distance, while the latter uses a gun (but with many special tricks). As the two fight their way through drones, they perform reasonably well, until Teana gets injured (the "usual" sprained ankle). She asks Subaru to leave her behind, but her friend is not too keen on that.
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/strikers2.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/strikers2.png)
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In the end, after an "emotional" moment, they decide to give a shot to their last obstacle before the time runs out. While Teana uses decoys to distract the large enemy they have to defeat, Subaru gets near to it and moves for the kill, using a move with the same name as Nanoha's, _Divine Buster_.
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/strikers3.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/strikers3.png)
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In the end the move proves succesful, as the enemy is defeated. But there is little time left, so they run towards the endpoint... unfortunately Subaru speeds up too much and risk crashing onto a wall with Teana, but luckily Nanoha arrives and saves the day (as usual).
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/strikers4.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/strikers4.png)
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The episode closes with Subaru crying after seeing Nanoha again.
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@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ In an effort to clean up my backlog of entries (curse my tendinitis, luckily I'm
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Haruka moves towards Tokyo but she isn't very knowledgeable on the way, and not even meeting up with another future student (Yukiho Hagiwara, who, like her, holds a rather strange keychain) helps.
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/xeno1.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/xeno1.png)
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Meanwhile, the two are spied by a woman, and at the same time other two people are moving to Tokyo for unknown motives.
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@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ Meanwhile, the two are spied by a woman, and at the same time other two people a
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An Idol is dispatched to take care of a fragment in orbit (a way to show both the base where they are launched from, and the people inside), while Haruka and her companion struggle to find the right way.
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/xeno2.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/xeno2.png)
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They end up in front of the sea, where the old Tokyo was (the result of a catastrophic event?). Haruka makes a positive comment on Idols and that seems to activate one, buried under the sea.
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At the base they're aware of such an event but they're totally unable to stop it, as the Idol breaks down every barrier. As it emerges, the shockwave knocks out Yukiho, and at the same time the woman who was following them (and saw the scene) is confronted by one of the two people from before (Chihaya), while the other (Riffa) talks to Haruka.
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/xeno4.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/xeno4.png)
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In the events that ensue, Haruka ends up into the Idol's cockpit, while another Idol (Chihaya's) appears behind it.
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The episode opens with the Japanese text that referst to the sonnet that Shakespeare put at the start of the drama, then we already see some differences in the basic story: the Capulet family is exterminated by the hands of the Montagues, and Juliet and another, older girl barely escape their doom.
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/romej1.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/romej1.png)
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We move a few years later, in the city of Neo-Verona (a curious mixture of several classical Italian architectural styles, to say the least). The government, in the hands of the Montagues, is still looking for the last heir, to kill off the family once and for all. When a (seemingly) innocent woman is about to get executed, a mysterious person (Juliet) appears and frees her. The city guard sets off in her pursuit: she snatches a friend along the way(Cordelia - the name refers to one of the daughters of King Lear, actually) and continues her run.
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/romej2.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/romej2.png)
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On her way, she risks falling to her death, only to be saved by - guess who? - Romeo. Their encounter is short, as she runs away quickly. Cordelia and Juliet go to a theatre, ran by some person named William (a reference to Shakespeare? But he's blonde...). As they rest, Juliet is reminded of how she's about to reach her 16th birthday (another difference: Juliet was 14 in the play).
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/romej4.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/romej4.png)
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Cue to Romeo, who obviously can't forget about Juliet already, and his conversation with a friend. His father tells him about a sort of party for the night and what looks to be an arranged marriage with someone. Back to Juliet, she's trying on some dresses for the upcoming night, where's she supposed to get along with her friend, but by mistake she's picked up by someone and brought there.
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@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ _**Shinkyoku Sokai Polyphonica**_
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I watched this mostly because the story (the original screenplay of [this obscure game](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphonica)) was written by _Scrapped Princess's _Ichiro Sakaki. As the title implies it's somewhat music-related, and focuses on the adventures of two characters (out of a bigger cast), Corticarte (nicknamed Cortie) and Poron, also the two main characters of the game. Cortie is a spirit that made a pact with Poron, although she's rather independent, and her behavior reminds me of Pacifica in _Scrapped Princess_. They work in a sort of office (Tsuge Divine Music Player) and apparently, as far as I could gather, deal with uncommon events.
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/poly3.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/poly3.png)
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The animation quality is rather low but rather constant so far (I've seen episodes 1 and 2). As for the story, there's no real plot development yet, aside introducing all the characters. Episode 4 promises some insight, at last (the whole thing starts _in medias res_). Despite being not exceptional, I'll keep on watching it.
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@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ _**Kotetsushin Jeeg**_
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I like this one. A sequel of the original mecha series, now 30 years old, it attracted my interest when I first heard of it. Set 50 years after the original _Kotetsu Jeeg_, this anime has a different storyline than its predecessor. Hiroshi Shiba was almost defeated against Queen Himika, so he sealed her and her minions off, then he disappeared. It's now up to Kenji Kusanagi, though why has not yet been told, to pilot the new Jeeg and face again the menace of the Haniwa Genji.
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/jeeg4.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/jeeg4.png)
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Animation-wise it's decent, although some parts in CG are truly displeasing. As for the rest, it's pretty much in line with the rest of Go Nagai's works: brain dead plots, but nice action. I'll be definitely keeping on watching this.
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@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ It seems I can't quite keep up with the episodes given my limited spare time (co
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<!-- more --> Episode 2 presents us with more flashback material from the incident where Subaru got rescued by Nanoha. The reason for such a trigger is that Hayate reminds Fate about how she saved Subaru's sister during the same incident.
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/nanoha2_1.png)
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[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/nanoha2_1.png)
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||||
|
||||
Once the matter is settled, Hayate then goes on saying that since there had been a lack of forces during the incident (Nanoha and Fate helped there, but they were on vacation to see Hayate), she had plans to create a new division to handle a variety of problems, from incidents to recover artifacts from ancient civilizations (_Lost Logia_, first mentioned in the _Maho Shojo Lyrical Nanoha A's to StrikerS_ manga). Of course, Nanoha and Fate approve her decision unconditionally.
|
||||
|
|
@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ Once the matter is settled, Hayate then goes on saying that since there had been
|
|||
Back to present, where Hayate has finished explaining the matter to Teana and Subaru. Nanoha then comes in and gives them the test results: they failed, but they will able to retake the exam without waiting for months.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/nanoha2_2.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/nanoha2_2.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Cue to Signum, who is going to fetch Erio Mondial and Caro Ru Lushe, two other members for the upcoming division. We get to see a special ability from Erio and the fact that Caro has a pet dragon. The episode finishes with Vita fighting some enemies and Subaru and Teana going back to take the exam.
|
||||
|
|
@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ Back to present, where Hayate has finished explaining the matter to Teana and Su
|
|||
Episode 3 has another "preparation" feeling to it, as it starts with Hayate and Reinforce Zwei getting an office for the new unit (that now is officially existing). Shortly afterwards, Hayate gives a speech to the staff and to the members of the new unit. While Nanoha, Subaru, Teana, Erio and Caro go for some heavy-duty training, Fate and Hayate take a helicopter (equipped with an Intelligent Device) in order to talk with the higher-ups of the organization.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/nanoha3_1.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/nanoha3_1.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Nanoha and mechanic staff member Shario Finerio direct the training, which involves taking out several magic enemies equipped with a nullifying field. Needless to say, the first attempts of the four new people aren't exactly succesful (but, and this is something that I really liked, they try to find ways to cooperate, instead of arguing). Meantime, Hayate and Fate warn the rest of the Bureau about a new type of Lost Logia, the _Relic_, which apparently is being researched and used by someone illegally, potentially causing a lot of incidents.
|
||||
|
|
@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ Nanoha and mechanic staff member Shario Finerio direct the training, which invol
|
|||
Back to Subaru and friends, they manage to win by coordinating their efforts properly.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/nanoha3_2.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/04/nanoha3_2.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
At the end of the day, Hayate sums up the positive reactions to the creation of the unit to the book's four protectors (Vita, Signum, Shamal and Zafira), and in the end, a happy Nanoha expresses her satisfaction about the recruits (although they're all dead tired) to Fate.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ As expected, I couldn't keep up with the backlog, so I'm again posting on two ep
|
|||
<!-- more -->Episode 4 opens with a training session of the recruits against Nanoha. The goal is simple: either they evade her attacks for five minutes, or manage to go through her defenses. As everyone is pretty tired, they go for the first route.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/nanoha4_1.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/05/nanoha4_1.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
The battle is obviously uneven as Nanoha is way stronger than the others, but somehow they manage to get a clean hit using rather complicated team play. Once the training session ends, the group goes back to their quarters.
|
||||
|
|
@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Back to Subaru and others, after a shower (obligatory fan service scene) they're
|
|||
The discussion however is cut short as the alarm sounds: the train with the Relic has been found and taken over. Of course it's the job of the unit to solve the matter, so they are dispatched, while Fate and Hayate hurry back.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/nanoha4_2.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/05/nanoha4_2.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Animation-wise it's not the best episode, but I expect some adjustments once it's out on DVD. Story-wise I can quite see where the staff wants to go, they want to build and develop the new characters before going on with the story.
|
||||
|
|
@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ Animation-wise it's not the best episode, but I expect some adjustments once it'
|
|||
The fifth episode is more action oriented. When the group gets on the place, they find out that a large number of flying enemies are going at them. Fate and Nanoha will take care of it, while the four will have to secure the train and recover the relic (with Reinforce Zwei as operations commander). When they deploy, it's time of something that is never missing in this kind of anime, namely transformation sequences:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/nanoha5_1.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/05/nanoha5_1.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
We get to see them all, starting with Fate and Nanoha's (both incomplete), followed by Subaru, Teana, Erio and Caro. All have totally different styles (though I would have preferred A's music in Nanoha's sequence), and so far the best done is Subaru's, that also quotes some mecha anime (_GaoGaiGar_ anyone?).
|
||||
|
|
@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ Cue to Caro and Erio, dealing with an unusually large enemy. Its anti-magic fie
|
|||
The events fold up quickly with Erio getting a boost power from Caro and cutting the enemy in two. At the same time Subaru and Teana secure the relic. All is well?
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/nanoha5_2.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/05/nanoha5_2.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Not quite as someone is shown lurking behind the scenes...
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -13,4 +13,4 @@ categories:
|
|||
At work I've recently got hold of two nice hardware upgrades: a portable 60 Gb HD (useful for carrying around large data) and an 80 Gb hard disk. The latter was much needed as the 40 Gb HD inside my Acer Veriton 7500G was getting rather small, both on the Windows side (which sadly I still need to use for some things) and on the Linux side (at one point / filled up, resulting in a system that would not log into X at all).I already made backups and moved the data, installing a fresh copy of Kubuntu 7.04 on the new HD. This means I'll be able to keep my laptop at home and avoid largely nerdish settings such as this:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/desk.jpg)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/05/desk.jpg)
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -15,13 +15,13 @@ I've seen very little talk about this anime, inspired by a short story by [Shota
|
|||
<!-- more --> Set in Otomo, a small town which is experiencing an outburst of growth and wealth, the story tells the tale of a journalist (Hayato Mikogami) and a young photographer (Kiriko Mamiya) as they try to unveil the mystery behind the "Skeleton Man", someone that is apparently responsible for a series of murders of famous people throughout the town. Several leads guide them to the mysterious sect called _Byakurenkai _ and to the Otomo Phamaceuticals, a large company whose previous president died in a fire under unclear circumstances. Of course they're not the only ones investigating, as the town is filled with people with their own agendas, not to mention the Skull Man himself.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/skull_1.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/06/skull_1.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
The plot has several lines and that's what makes it interesting. So far the story seems quite complex and involves a large number of characters, all tied to the situation in different ways. Also, the direction is quite effective (I did not expect it, as Takeshi Mori's previous works included the terrible _Stratos 4_) and even goes "experimental" in the opening, something that reminded me of _Boogiepop wa warawanai - Boogiepop Phantom_. It is more than a resemblance, since one of the screenplay writers actually _worked_ there along with Sadayuki Murai...
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/skull_2.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/06/skull_2.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
There's a lot of dialogue, but it is not boring at all, it actually drives the viewer more and more into Otomo, a strange town full of mysteries. Also the tone of the episodes switches effectively between light hearted scenes and darker ones without many problems.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Some of you may remember that in Japan and in general around Far East there is a
|
|||
Well, what has that to do with a project of mine (no cheating: don't turn to the [Projects page](http://www.dennogumi.org/projects-2/))? A number of years ago (10 to be precise) I and my twin brother decided to write a horror novel which was inspired by classical horror novelists and also anime. While I was writing it we got the idea of making an illustrated novel. After many attempts my brother found an amazing artist who graciously agreed to work for us. You can see an example below (showing the main character, Yumiko Hasegawa):
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/forest.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/06/forest.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
If you are interested and want to take a look, the project has its own web page, [http://www.stealsaga.net](http://www.stealsaga.net): it provides additional information on the art and the novel itself. If you end up there, please don't forget to leave a comment.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ tags:
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/strikers_dvd_1_cover.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/07/strikers_dvd_1_cover.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Today I got the first _Maho Shojo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS_ R2 DVD in the mail. Even though I haven't watched it properly yet (I plan on doing so tomorrow) I can say I'm already impressed. Usually Japanese DVDs are little more than improved video tapes: they provide just the bare minimum (and not for a cheap price). However, this is not the case with _Nanoha StrikerS_.
|
||||
|
|
@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ tags:
|
|||
<!-- more --> First of all, the packaging: I got the special first-press edition, and it has a rather nice box-like cardboard housing. Inside not only we get the DVD itself, but also a CD with a mini-OST. Along with that there is a booklet (about 10 pages) with _settei_ and also a glossary of the terms used in the series. Finally, there are two ID cards, one for Subaru and one for Nanoha:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/strikers_dvd_1_ids.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/07/strikers_dvd_1_ids.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
A nice A4 poster with the young and older Nanoha was also present with the DVD. I cant' really show images of that as it's too big to fit on my scanner, and I am not too well versed in stitching partial scans together.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -17,27 +17,27 @@ tags:
|
|||
I'm back from holidays, and when I got back I found the Saber Revoltech figure I had preordered in May (!) in the mail. This is the package when I pulled it out from the box it came in (apologies for the image quality, I only had my mobile phone to take it):<!-- more -->
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/saber_revoltech1.JPG)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/08/saber_revoltech1.JPG)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
According to the description, Revoltech is a system which uses joints of various nature to enable movement of the various parts of the figure. This theoretically enables the user to set nice and dynamic poses with relative ease. So, I proceeded to open the box:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/saber_revoltech2.JPG)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/08/saber_revoltech2.JPG)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[
|
||||
](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/saber_revoltech1.JPG)
|
||||
](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/08/saber_revoltech1.JPG)
|
||||
|
||||
Inside we have Saber from Fate/stay Night (well, obviously) in her Servant armor. Along with that there is her sword, which actually comes in two flavors, the visible and the transparent one.
|
||||
|
||||
I spent a bit figuring out how the joints worked and all, because getting a decent pose that would not fall is not easy as it seems. Thankfully, I managed to get this, and I put this figure over my desk:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/saber_revoltech3.JPG)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/08/saber_revoltech3.JPG)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
I'm quite happy with the quality of the parts, despite being 100% plastic. Definitely a good buy.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -14,12 +14,12 @@ categories:
|
|||
After little more than a year, I've been moved to a new office, because new people needed to be put in the room I was in. The new place is slightly bigger (four desks instead of six) and for now quieter. I spent most of the morning fixing things and setting up network connections. This is how it looks now:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/016.JPG)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/09/016.JPG)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/017.JPG)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/09/017.JPG)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Of course these distractions took time away from my thesis, but I've still managed to write a part of the last section, the discussion. I still have a long way to go before finishing, though.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -18,19 +18,19 @@ From the already large backlog of new series, I recently watched the first episo
|
|||
|
||||
<!-- more --> The first episode is entitled "Kishitachi no Senjo" (the battlefield of the knights) and starts off _in medias res_ by showing two "knights" on patrol at what seems to be a boundary between two countries. Here we get to know the first (and only) male character from the cast, who was probably the player-controlled character in the game.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/one_male.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/one_male.png)
|
||||
|
||||
He and his female companion seem to have a mutual interest in each other, as they move to kiss, but _as usual_ they get interrupted by the arrival of an "enemy", another girl whose outfit resembles the one of a nun (by reading the credits I learnt her name was "Sister Hell", so perhaps it's not really a coincidence).
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/past.png)The two engage into battle and the scene suddenly shifts to the past, depicting a young girl and a boy "on holiday"(?) while they bump into another boy. As far as I know these flashbacks (interspersed throughout the episode) refer to the game's prequel, _PRISM HEARTS_, and are supposed to give more information on the setting. Actually, the blonde girl shown is the main female character's mother.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/past.png)The two engage into battle and the scene suddenly shifts to the past, depicting a young girl and a boy "on holiday"(?) while they bump into another boy. As far as I know these flashbacks (interspersed throughout the episode) refer to the game's prequel, _PRISM HEARTS_, and are supposed to give more information on the setting. Actually, the blonde girl shown is the main female character's mother.
|
||||
|
||||
Back to the present, the two battle with Sister Hell with some difficulty, when more characters (all female, of course) appear on the scene. One looks like a _magical girl_, while the other is dressed like a _miko_. Throughout the action there are more flashbacks, showing how the blonde girl got a crush on the boy she met "on holiday". Nevertheless, the good guys barely handle the enemy, until _another_ woman pops in, wielding two swords.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/direction.png)The direction of the action scenes resembles a lot some of the later _Dancougar Nova _episode, with shots like the one I posted here, or with the faces of the characters overlapping. It's not a bad idea, as it makes rather standard scenes more interesting, at least from a visual point of view (though it's nothing like what Akiyuki Shinbo does).
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/direction.png)The direction of the action scenes resembles a lot some of the later _Dancougar Nova _episode, with shots like the one I posted here, or with the faces of the characters overlapping. It's not a bad idea, as it makes rather standard scenes more interesting, at least from a visual point of view (though it's nothing like what Akiyuki Shinbo does).
|
||||
|
||||
Sister Hell is not pleased with the reinforcements and calls upon a new, mecha-like entity. Meanwhile the flashbacks show the blonde girl going "away" and the boy getting her pocket watch, something which is important according to the opening credits. Years later, she is saddened by the loss of a relative/friend, and decides to become a knight.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/roots.png)And a few scenes later we get a glimpse of this anime's origins, as the boy from the past (now grown up), _unexpectedly_ catches his old friend when she's taking a bath in a pond. Back to the present, the group barely manages to destroy the mecha-like entity with a coordinated effort. However, Sister Hell as a _whole army_ of them. Unfazed, they just charge at them.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/roots.png)And a few scenes later we get a glimpse of this anime's origins, as the boy from the past (now grown up), _unexpectedly_ catches his old friend when she's taking a bath in a pond. Back to the present, the group barely manages to destroy the mecha-like entity with a coordinated effort. However, Sister Hell as a _whole army_ of them. Unfazed, they just charge at them.
|
||||
|
||||
This is how the first episode ends, and it looks like (from the "next episode" clip) that now a long flasback will start explaining why the characters got there. Visually speaking, _Prism Ark_ is average, with a good character design (but sometimes a little too geometric) and a good animation quality, though I want to see if it holds up in the next episodes.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -18,15 +18,15 @@ Straight out of my anime backlog, I watched the first episode of _Clannad_. I do
|
|||
|
||||
<!-- more -->
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/start.png)The episode starts off with the main character, Tomoya Okazaki, walking on the street off to school. He doesn't seem to be a bright and cheerful fellow, as he expresses his hate towards the town he lives in. He then stumbles upon a girl (later we'll learn her name is Nagisa Furukawa) standing on the stairs that go up a hill. The two have a short conversation, where he seemingly encourages her (a little odd, since his earlier thoughts), then the opening theme kicks in.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/start.png)The episode starts off with the main character, Tomoya Okazaki, walking on the street off to school. He doesn't seem to be a bright and cheerful fellow, as he expresses his hate towards the town he lives in. He then stumbles upon a girl (later we'll learn her name is Nagisa Furukawa) standing on the stairs that go up a hill. The two have a short conversation, where he seemingly encourages her (a little odd, since his earlier thoughts), then the opening theme kicks in.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/sister1.png)Later we see Tomoya going to school and having a talk with his (not so sane) roommate, and again bitter thoughts keep on crawling in his mind. The following day he is in class, and is approached by the class representative (see picture) who tries to lecture him about his attitude but no avail. The girl is taken aback by that (she looks like a shy type) until her sister (almost identical, she has longer hair) takes her defense.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/sister1.png)Later we see Tomoya going to school and having a talk with his (not so sane) roommate, and again bitter thoughts keep on crawling in his mind. The following day he is in class, and is approached by the class representative (see picture) who tries to lecture him about his attitude but no avail. The girl is taken aback by that (she looks like a shy type) until her sister (almost identical, she has longer hair) takes her defense.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/encounter.png)Cue to lunch break, where _again_ Tomoya meets Nagisa, who is acting somewhat uncomfortable because all the people she knew have moved on, as she was abroad/away and was forced to repeat the year. Tomoya suggests she does something interesting, and mentions a theatre club. While they discuss, a ruckus starts due to people from other schools going in and causing trouble. Tomoya wants to teach them a lesson but yet another girl appears and beats them up. Later, Tomoya's friend tries to challenge her but gets beaten up as well.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/encounter.png)Cue to lunch break, where _again_ Tomoya meets Nagisa, who is acting somewhat uncomfortable because all the people she knew have moved on, as she was abroad/away and was forced to repeat the year. Tomoya suggests she does something interesting, and mentions a theatre club. While they discuss, a ruckus starts due to people from other schools going in and causing trouble. Tomoya wants to teach them a lesson but yet another girl appears and beats them up. Later, Tomoya's friend tries to challenge her but gets beaten up as well.
|
||||
|
||||
It's late afternoon, and Tomoya finds Nagisa in front of the so-called theatre club. Once she gets in, she is rather disappointed in seeing no one around. Tomoya explains that the club has been closed for some time, but in the end she might be able to resurrect it if people want to participate.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/strange_mother.png)Tomoya is then heading home but remembers that Nagisa had told him about where she lives, a bread shop. As he's on the way, he gets inside and tastes a "leftover", a somewhat _original_ piece of bread which is not particularly good. Tomoya makes the mistake of stating his disappointment. The person at the counter (Nagisa's mother) starts crying while his father is out to get revenge. It takes time and Nagisa's intervention to clear things up.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/strange_mother.png)Tomoya is then heading home but remembers that Nagisa had told him about where she lives, a bread shop. As he's on the way, he gets inside and tastes a "leftover", a somewhat _original_ piece of bread which is not particularly good. Tomoya makes the mistake of stating his disappointment. The person at the counter (Nagisa's mother) starts crying while his father is out to get revenge. It takes time and Nagisa's intervention to clear things up.
|
||||
|
||||
In the end, Tomoya stays for dinner, and the others seem to develop a liking for him. When he gets home, he finds his father drunk, a sight that apparently is normal. Frustrated, he runs out of the house, and ends up again near Nagisa's. There he finds her reciting under a streetlight, and that's how the episode ends.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ I know that the games and kde-edu are in much better shape than the rest of KDE,
|
|||
First of all, I started KDE and I got greeted by a (apparently non-modifiable for now) wallpaper and the Plasma taskbar, the applet viewer and a digital clock. The default settings used the Plastique theme, but I switched window decoration and theme to Oxygen, since I wanted to see how it was. Here's the desktop with Dolphin open:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/kde4_1.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/kde4_1.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
There is a nice hover on effect when you move the mouse over the icons. Next, I tried running kate and konsole. I can say I'm really impressed by the way konsole has changed, the configuration options look **much more** sane than before! I also tried kate out, but as an assert in the code failed, it crashed when I tried to type anything. Nevertheless, here it is:
|
||||
|
|
@ -45,25 +45,25 @@ There is a nice hover on effect when you move the mouse over the icons. Next, I
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/kde4_2.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/kde4_2.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Even though it's not the default file manager, Konqueror is still alive and kicking. Here it shows dennogumi.org:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/kde4_3.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/kde4_3.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Kickoff, the new K-menu, is not present by default but I have pulled it from playground to see how it was. Despite what the critics say, it looks decent to me. Perhaps it's because I never use menus (alt-f2 is my religion), but I find it as intuitive as the original K-menu. In any case, personal preferences are more a matter of taste than objectivity.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/kde4_4.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/kde4_4.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Last but not least, I tried using krunner, the new alt-f2 replacement. It looks really neat, and can do a variety of things by plugging into the relevant KDE subsystems.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/kde4_5.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/kde4_5.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
I didn't get to test Solid, or Phonon as I worked in a nested X session. The battery applet seemed to work, so it may be an indication of Solid doing its work. I don't think the system is stable enough to run in a full session, but I will do periodical recompiles to see if anything changes.
|
||||
|
|
@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ I didn't get to test Solid, or Phonon as I worked in a nested X session. The bat
|
|||
Since I got kdegraphics to compile, I tried Okular out. It looks almost feature complete, with no visible glitches. Here's a screenshot if it running and showing my own _Lost Innocence_:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/kde4_6.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/kde4_6.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
A word or two on the Oxygen theme. I'm liking where it is headed, though perhaps a little more subtlety with the window decoration (to figure out when a window has focus) would be appreciated. I'm sure the Oxygen team is already aware of the issue, however. They've done an excellent job, despite their lack of manpower.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ The first and most important change since my last post was the addition of the K
|
|||
|
||||
Last time I did not test gwenview, the KDE image viewer, and now I can happily report it works. I like the new UI, with the sidebar (which can be hidden if needed). Here is a screenshot of it in action:
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/kde4_7.png) Aside that, I've tried again to compile kdenetwork without much success: the codebase seems in a state of flux right now, and errors pop up here and there. Too bad, as I really wanted to see the new KRDC. While I wait for it to be fixed, I installed kdemultimedia: so far I've only tested kmix, and it **seems** to work (it displays the interface but I have no idea if it actually modifies the volume). I'm not daring to touch kdepim as I know kmail4 is in very bad shape right now.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/10/kde4_7.png) Aside that, I've tried again to compile kdenetwork without much success: the codebase seems in a state of flux right now, and errors pop up here and there. Too bad, as I really wanted to see the new KRDC. While I wait for it to be fixed, I installed kdemultimedia: so far I've only tested kmix, and it **seems** to work (it displays the interface but I have no idea if it actually modifies the volume). I'm not daring to touch kdepim as I know kmail4 is in very bad shape right now.
|
||||
|
||||
I've also tried to compile some Plasma applets from playground but I get CMake errors, I assume I need to checkout something else needed for it to work.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ As people who read my science-related posts know already, I'm not a big fan of {
|
|||
I use TMeV mostly because I didn't find any other implementation of the hierarchical clustering algorithm with support trees. However, I've stumbled upon a very annoying bug in the most recent version. Normally I use average linkage clustering and as the distance metric I employ the Pearson's correlation, and with gene and sample bootstrapping: with certain files this makes TMeV report errors at random during the iterations.
|
||||
|
||||
<!-- more -->
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/tmev.png)What you see on the left is the "error" that TMeV gives. As you can see, it is all but informative. Digging a bit, it shows that Java throws an ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException, but I wonder how, since this happens with different data files that have nothing in common at all.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/11/tmev.png)What you see on the left is the "error" that TMeV gives. As you can see, it is all but informative. Digging a bit, it shows that Java throws an ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException, but I wonder how, since this happens with different data files that have nothing in common at all.
|
||||
|
||||
Since I don't want to pass for someone who just whines, I contacted the MeV developers and offered to give also example files, but I've got no response at all. Luckily, the older version of MeV (3.1) is still around and works.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ data.save("name",gene_clustering,exp_clustering)
|
|||
[Java TreeView](http://jtreeview.sourceforge.net/) is a program to view trees and heat maps. Unlike its counterpart TreeView, it's truly cross-platform (Java) and GPLed, a nice added bonus. You can load the files directly and display the results like in this picture, taken with the sample data available on the project page.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/treeview.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/11/treeview.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
It's still not perfect (no data shown on the main map page, only with the detailed view) but a good start, nevertheless. I'll investigate whether I can complement TMeV usage with these tools.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -16,16 +16,16 @@ tags:
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/patapi.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/11/patapi.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
After a long time I've finally got hold (thanks, Melissa) of _Akihabara Denno Gumi PataPi!_, that is the manga version of _Akihabara Denno Gumi_ (or Cyber Team in Akihabara, if you prefer): some of you may even remember a rather sparse description on this very page when it was still devoted to ADG (almost eight years ago, time flies...).
|
||||
|
||||
<!-- more -->
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/patapi1.png)This manga, drawn by Tsukasa Kotobuki (who also did the original character designs for the anime), is a sort of reduction of the animated series. The storyline goes more or less in the same fashion, with young Hibari Hanakoganei being given a mechanical toy known as PataPi by a mysterious "prince" who lives in her dreams. Of course, Den-suke (the name Hibari gives to the little mechanical monstrosity) is not an ordinary toy, it holds the key to a strange castle in the sky, and of course some people are interested in that.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/11/patapi1.png)This manga, drawn by Tsukasa Kotobuki (who also did the original character designs for the anime), is a sort of reduction of the animated series. The storyline goes more or less in the same fashion, with young Hibari Hanakoganei being given a mechanical toy known as PataPi by a mysterious "prince" who lives in her dreams. Of course, Den-suke (the name Hibari gives to the little mechanical monstrosity) is not an ordinary toy, it holds the key to a strange castle in the sky, and of course some people are interested in that.
|
||||
|
||||
On the aspect of drawings, this manga in my opinion uses a hybrid approach, as despite not quite geared for girls, uses some techniques that are best seen in _shojo manga_. Of course, the drawing style and the story are totally different. The style is somewhat pleasing, but it lacks detail, especially with backgrounds, which are often too simplistic or absent.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/patapi2.png)Story wise, the manga is a** very** cut down version of the anime. The most important difference is the role of Tsubame, which is greatly diminished, up to being non-existant. In general terms, the fact that it is only one volume, albeit bigger than usual, is a huge drawback. The story starts, new characters are introduced, and then it winds up too fast. Characters like Christian Rosenkreuz or even Shooting Star are developed even less than in the anime. Even the Diva themselves appear little. So, how to judge this? I'm not sure. Despite having been a fan of the anime back then, personally I think this incarnation could have been avoided. What I really don't like is the downplay of some characters like Tsubame.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/11/patapi2.png)Story wise, the manga is a** very** cut down version of the anime. The most important difference is the role of Tsubame, which is greatly diminished, up to being non-existant. In general terms, the fact that it is only one volume, albeit bigger than usual, is a huge drawback. The story starts, new characters are introduced, and then it winds up too fast. Characters like Christian Rosenkreuz or even Shooting Star are developed even less than in the anime. Even the Diva themselves appear little. So, how to judge this? I'm not sure. Despite having been a fan of the anime back then, personally I think this incarnation could have been avoided. What I really don't like is the downplay of some characters like Tsubame.
|
||||
|
||||
At least I can say I saw it, after all these years. That is why I wrote this post in the first place.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -19,4 +19,4 @@ With the new version update, these strange portals have been appearing throughou
|
|||
They're **huge. **I estimate at least twice the height of my character. For those curious, here are two photos (one is of my brother's character, the other is mine):
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/pol-2007-11-20-20-52-51-38.jpg)[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/pol-2007-11-20-16-49-42-65.jpg)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/11/pol-2007-11-20-20-52-51-38.jpg)[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/11/pol-2007-11-20-16-49-42-65.jpg)
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ tags:
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/pol-2007-11-30-14-56-28-86.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/11/pol-2007-11-30-14-56-28-86.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Finally my copy of _Wings of the Goddess_ has arrived. It was just a matter of putting the DVD in the drive and let install the measly 350+ Mb of update (rather low for a DVD). As usual, Square Enix's installation program is greedy with regards to information. Once it was installed, I enabled the expansion in PlayOnline and was good to go (save a 20,000+ file check).
|
||||
|
|
@ -26,15 +26,15 @@ Finally my copy of _Wings of the Goddess_ has arrived. It was just a matter of p
|
|||
|
||||
For now I started by "unlocking" (i.e., enabling the passage from the future to the past) some Cavernous Maws (namely the ones in Rolanberry Fields, Batallia Downs and Sauromugue Champaign) and wandered around in the areas around Jeuno (that's where you start - Jeuno itself is not accessible, though).
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/pol-2007-11-30-17-46-18-60.png) With each new expansion, new monsters appear. In this case you see a Pixie on the left. Pixies are neutral enemies that generally do not attack you and in some occasions they can even heal you (Cure IV) or give you a raise (Raise III) if you're knocked out. From what I have read pixies have a "hate" system like fomors or apkallus, meaning the more you kill them, the more they get hostile towards you. Luckily you can lower your "hate" by doing a certain action in the past. As far as I'm concerned, I won't be touching them (what kind of Paladin would I be?).
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/11/pol-2007-11-30-17-46-18-60.png) With each new expansion, new monsters appear. In this case you see a Pixie on the left. Pixies are neutral enemies that generally do not attack you and in some occasions they can even heal you (Cure IV) or give you a raise (Raise III) if you're knocked out. From what I have read pixies have a "hate" system like fomors or apkallus, meaning the more you kill them, the more they get hostile towards you. Luckily you can lower your "hate" by doing a certain action in the past. As far as I'm concerned, I won't be touching them (what kind of Paladin would I be?).
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/pol-2007-11-30-17-46-28-24.png)Of course there aren't just enemies, but also scenery. In this picture I'm running through the Batallia Downs of the Crystal War time. As you can see, even though the forest has been already cut down (to build fortifications against the Shadow Lord's armies) the ramparts and everything seems to be in top shape (well, of course: they're still battling).
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/11/pol-2007-11-30-17-46-28-24.png)Of course there aren't just enemies, but also scenery. In this picture I'm running through the Batallia Downs of the Crystal War time. As you can see, even though the forest has been already cut down (to build fortifications against the Shadow Lord's armies) the ramparts and everything seems to be in top shape (well, of course: they're still battling).
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/pol-2007-11-30-18-04-44-79.png)Another "strange" phenomenon is the comet in the sky, highlighted already by the trailer. I don't know if it's related to the Shadow Lord himself (I doubt it: when he resurrected there was no such thing) or to the entities which brought me (and countless other players) in past Vana'diel. I guess it will be explained through time.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/11/pol-2007-11-30-18-04-44-79.png)Another "strange" phenomenon is the comet in the sky, highlighted already by the trailer. I don't know if it's related to the Shadow Lord himself (I doubt it: when he resurrected there was no such thing) or to the entities which brought me (and countless other players) in past Vana'diel. I guess it will be explained through time.
|
||||
|
||||
Last but not least, two images from a rampart in Sauromugue Champaign and the interior of Garlaige Citadel, a well-built fortification back then and not the ruined, undead-infested place of modern day Vana'diel:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/pol-2007-11-30-17-59-14-28.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/pol-2007-11-30-18-10-30-96.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/11/pol-2007-11-30-17-59-14-28.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2007/11/pol-2007-11-30-18-10-30-96.png)
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -32,14 +32,14 @@ For a change, my brother has found a place (DLsite.com) that sells _dojinshi_ ev
|
|||
<!-- more -->
|
||||
The dojins are by a circle/person known as [TWO-DASH](http://www008.upp.so-net.ne.jp/t-dash/), and I admit I had not heard the name before. Assured that they didn't contain adult-only material, I took a look at the three volumes which my brother bought.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/chaos_1.png)_Chaos:01_ is the oldest of the bunch, and it shows. The style is very nice but very rough, almost as if the pencil wasn't completely erased when ink was put on. In any case, it's aestethically pleasing. The story (as the dojin titles may hint at) revolves around the very famous Dark Knight flag quest, [Blade of Darkness](http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Blade_of_Darkness). In this case a Hume named as Yui Sofianull which happens, during the course of an investigation in Palborough Mines, to run into Zeid, the last Dark Knight remained after the Great War. What follows is basically a recap of the same quest, with Zeid giving Yui the Chaosbringer. There are some differences, in the sense that the author has brought the "Dark Knight feeds on negative emotions" paradigm to the extreme, as Yui goes berserk and slays a lot of people, including her Elvaan Paladin partner, who is shown in the picture on the left. After that, she starts traveling around Vana'diel.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/01/chaos_1.png)_Chaos:01_ is the oldest of the bunch, and it shows. The style is very nice but very rough, almost as if the pencil wasn't completely erased when ink was put on. In any case, it's aestethically pleasing. The story (as the dojin titles may hint at) revolves around the very famous Dark Knight flag quest, [Blade of Darkness](http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Blade_of_Darkness). In this case a Hume named as Yui Sofianull which happens, during the course of an investigation in Palborough Mines, to run into Zeid, the last Dark Knight remained after the Great War. What follows is basically a recap of the same quest, with Zeid giving Yui the Chaosbringer. There are some differences, in the sense that the author has brought the "Dark Knight feeds on negative emotions" paradigm to the extreme, as Yui goes berserk and slays a lot of people, including her Elvaan Paladin partner, who is shown in the picture on the left. After that, she starts traveling around Vana'diel.
|
||||
|
||||
For being a dojin, the gratuitous moments are quite minimal, which is refreshing and welcome at the same time. Story-wise, save for the dramatic events near the end, it is pretty easy to follow if you have played FFXI. Also, aside Zeid, Volker also appears as a guest in some scenes.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/chaos_2.png)The second dojin, _Chaos: 02_, appeared roughly a year after the first. In this case we see that the author's style has quite matured, and there's no longer that feeling of "being raw": in general everything is much cleaner. The picture on the right already gives the story of the second volume away: it's about mission 2-3, better known as "the dragon" among FFXI players. The plot shows Yui, still heavily tormented by the massacre she did in the previous volume, getting in touch with a group of Tarutarus and an Elvaan thief. The progression of the mission isn't really like in the game (there is a traitorous Mithra involved) but the outcome is the same, and even in this case Yui manages to go berserk and slay the dragon as shown (technically she couldn't wear Artifact Armor, but that is minor). The dojin ends shortly after that, with a "To be continued".
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/01/chaos_2.png)The second dojin, _Chaos: 02_, appeared roughly a year after the first. In this case we see that the author's style has quite matured, and there's no longer that feeling of "being raw": in general everything is much cleaner. The picture on the right already gives the story of the second volume away: it's about mission 2-3, better known as "the dragon" among FFXI players. The plot shows Yui, still heavily tormented by the massacre she did in the previous volume, getting in touch with a group of Tarutarus and an Elvaan thief. The progression of the mission isn't really like in the game (there is a traitorous Mithra involved) but the outcome is the same, and even in this case Yui manages to go berserk and slay the dragon as shown (technically she couldn't wear Artifact Armor, but that is minor). The dojin ends shortly after that, with a "To be continued".
|
||||
|
||||
Unlike the first dojin, there are more risque scenes (nothing too much, luckily), and again we see some important characters in the FFXI universe such as Nanaa Mihgo.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/chaos_3.png)The third and last dojin for now is the most recent (2006) and the one with the best art of the bunch (not too surprisingly). It is also the one with most risque scenes (also not too many). The story here seems original, and involves Yui and a new partner, aided by a White Mage and a Beastmaster, looking up a Weapon in Delkfutt's Tower (which ends smashed like in the picture). In the end, Yui gets detained by the Jeuno palace guards and the story is again continued on the next volume (which sadly isn't out yet).
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/01/chaos_3.png)The third and last dojin for now is the most recent (2006) and the one with the best art of the bunch (not too surprisingly). It is also the one with most risque scenes (also not too many). The story here seems original, and involves Yui and a new partner, aided by a White Mage and a Beastmaster, looking up a Weapon in Delkfutt's Tower (which ends smashed like in the picture). In the end, Yui gets detained by the Jeuno palace guards and the story is again continued on the next volume (which sadly isn't out yet).
|
||||
|
||||
What to say on these three dojins? I'm quite pleased overall, both because they aren't H and because they talk about FFXI. It is a plus of course that it is a coherent story instead of small, unrelated tales like some of the (officially licensed) FFXI manga and they're quite recommended (also given that they're not expensive at all).
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -18,15 +18,15 @@ Interested by some promotional art and by a resemblance of the main female chara
|
|||
|
||||
<!-- more -->
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/capture_1min.png) The story is set in what it seems to be a Middle Age Europe, where there is an official religion co-existing with other ancient rites. As a matter of fact, the anime opens with one of such rites, to be precise with a pact made by a village with a local deity in order to get a good harvest. Then the opening kicks in and we get a look at the various characters. In particular, we get to know the male main character, Lawrence.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/01/capture_1min.png) The story is set in what it seems to be a Middle Age Europe, where there is an official religion co-existing with other ancient rites. As a matter of fact, the anime opens with one of such rites, to be precise with a pact made by a village with a local deity in order to get a good harvest. Then the opening kicks in and we get a look at the various characters. In particular, we get to know the male main character, Lawrence.
|
||||
|
||||
Lawrence is a merchant and travels around the land selling wares, and he stops by the villlage shown in the first scenes, where he watches the harvest ceremony in favor of Horo (the deity) and also sees a "colleague" of his (the girl shown in the picture above, an original character for the anime). Also, his carriage bumps into something, but he does not find the reason.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/capture_11min.png)He finds out at night, when he leaves for the next village. Inside his carriage he finds a naked woman with a wolf tail and wolf-like ears. The woman introduces herself as Horo, the actual deity of the place. Apparently she's tired of being there helping the harvest as the people there almost forgot about her and just repeat the rituals without knowing why. She asks Lawrence to bring her with him, and he, unimpressed, asks for proof. Horo eats some wheat and something happens, but we can't see as the scene changes almost immediately.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/01/capture_11min.png)He finds out at night, when he leaves for the next village. Inside his carriage he finds a naked woman with a wolf tail and wolf-like ears. The woman introduces herself as Horo, the actual deity of the place. Apparently she's tired of being there helping the harvest as the people there almost forgot about her and just repeat the rituals without knowing why. She asks Lawrence to bring her with him, and he, unimpressed, asks for proof. Horo eats some wheat and something happens, but we can't see as the scene changes almost immediately.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/capture_15min.png) Lawrence has returned to the village and has a talk with his "colleague" which apparently wants to join forces with him in the merchant business (and by the way she acts, we see that apparently it's not just a business interest). However, he acts quite detached and she doesn't like it that much. They also talk about Horo, but she believes it to be just a myth and nothing more.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/01/capture_15min.png) Lawrence has returned to the village and has a talk with his "colleague" which apparently wants to join forces with him in the merchant business (and by the way she acts, we see that apparently it's not just a business interest). However, he acts quite detached and she doesn't like it that much. They also talk about Horo, but she believes it to be just a myth and nothing more.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/capture_21min.png)Before sleeping, Lawrence gets again a visit from Horo, and we finally get to see what happened before: Horo's arm became indeed something _not so natural_, indeed proof of her nature. The following morning, she gets on some clothes on Lawrence's carriage and the two leave the village, with Horo intent on becoming Lawrence's business partner.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/01/capture_21min.png)Before sleeping, Lawrence gets again a visit from Horo, and we finally get to see what happened before: Horo's arm became indeed something _not so natural_, indeed proof of her nature. The following morning, she gets on some clothes on Lawrence's carriage and the two leave the village, with Horo intent on becoming Lawrence's business partner.
|
||||
|
||||
My first comments on this anime are that it is a "wait and see": the approach is somewhat different in some areas (Lawrence that reacts differently than most anime characters, though his reaction is unrealistic as well) and I'm curious to see how the story will develop in the future, because the first episode is kind of self-contained, and doesn't give any hints to future development. However, the predicted episode count is only 12, so there may be the chance of a screw up along the way.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ tags:
|
|||
- spice and wolf
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/ookami_cover.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/04/ookami_cover.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -34,14 +34,14 @@ I still haven't tackled this, and given my recent time constraints I expect this
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/ookami_menu.png)The DVD contains three episodes (sadly just for this first volumes, another reminder that the Japanese DVD releases aren't really good value for their money), and presents, in my opinion, sub-par presentation, as the menu clearly shows. There are no sub-menus, everything is presented on a static page with links directly to the content (episode chapters) and the only extra feature of this release: the credits-less opening sequence.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/04/ookami_menu.png)The DVD contains three episodes (sadly just for this first volumes, another reminder that the Japanese DVD releases aren't really good value for their money), and presents, in my opinion, sub-par presentation, as the menu clearly shows. There are no sub-menus, everything is presented on a static page with links directly to the content (episode chapters) and the only extra feature of this release: the credits-less opening sequence.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/ookami_pic2.png)Quality-wise, there are no obvious improvements, actually the most picky people will probably notice _less_ quality than on the DVD (due to the fact that the original broadcasting was in HD format, and the DVD is SD). I noticed some color saturation issues on Windows (with PowerDVD), but none of the sort on Linux (kaffeine). At least the original 16:9 aspect ratio is there (one never knows...).
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/04/ookami_pic2.png)Quality-wise, there are no obvious improvements, actually the most picky people will probably notice _less_ quality than on the DVD (due to the fact that the original broadcasting was in HD format, and the DVD is SD). I noticed some color saturation issues on Windows (with PowerDVD), but none of the sort on Linux (kaffeine). At least the original 16:9 aspect ratio is there (one never knows...).
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/ookami_pic3.png)Aside that, content-wise the same points I made while viewing the first episode still apply: it's a highly atypical yet interesting series. Despite the lack of "action", all the episodes are intriguing and the "economics" element adds a nice touch. Of course it's not your typical series, so some may find it boring, but I really recommend it (although I'm fairly sure, like with other interesting series like , that it will go mostly ignored...)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/04/ookami_pic3.png)Aside that, content-wise the same points I made while viewing the first episode still apply: it's a highly atypical yet interesting series. Despite the lack of "action", all the episodes are intriguing and the "economics" element adds a nice touch. Of course it's not your typical series, so some may find it boring, but I really recommend it (although I'm fairly sure, like with other interesting series like , that it will go mostly ignored...)
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ tags:
|
|||
- slayers
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/slayers3.jpg)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/07/slayers3.jpg)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -33,16 +33,16 @@ First of all, the staff is _the same_ as the old production: the director Takash
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
After a brief moment describing Lina by her peculiar features ("Demon eyes", "demon mouth" and... "no bust"), the opening kicks off with a song by... Megumi Hayashibara. Then we see a group of pirates that are busy collecting their loot, when a lone ship starts destroying their fleet. And Lina and Gourry are on that ship, of course (apparently bandits are running low on numbers, so Lina chose to target pirates instead).[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/slayers1.jpg)
|
||||
After a brief moment describing Lina by her peculiar features ("Demon eyes", "demon mouth" and... "no bust"), the opening kicks off with a song by... Megumi Hayashibara. Then we see a group of pirates that are busy collecting their loot, when a lone ship starts destroying their fleet. And Lina and Gourry are on that ship, of course (apparently bandits are running low on numbers, so Lina chose to target pirates instead).[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/07/slayers1.jpg)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Lina of course gives them the speech, but apparently the pirates fail to recognize her and just launch an assault. Suffice is to say that they are no match for the crazy sorceress, as she blows them away. Gourry manages to do his part, but his sword keeps on breaking (don't forget he no longer has the Gorn Nova/Sword of Light).
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/slayers2.jpg)Elsewhere, the fleet of Sairoon is approaching the area, with Zelgadiss and Amelia on board, along with another person that expresses his desire to meet Lina. Their arrival (along with Amelia's usual over the top lines) almost destroys what is left of the pirate ship (_and_ Lina's one too). The pirates attempt an escape, but their cries of "flat chest" anger Lina so much that she sends them flying around with a well timed spell.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/07/slayers2.jpg)Elsewhere, the fleet of Sairoon is approaching the area, with Zelgadiss and Amelia on board, along with another person that expresses his desire to meet Lina. Their arrival (along with Amelia's usual over the top lines) almost destroys what is left of the pirate ship (_and_ Lina's one too). The pirates attempt an escape, but their cries of "flat chest" anger Lina so much that she sends them flying around with a well timed spell.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/slayers4.jpg)Later, at an inn, Lina and Gourry are counting the money they got (and of course their eating habits haven't changed a bit), while Zel and Amelia come in, along with this other person, who then identifies himself as an inspector. A moment later, he arrests Lina! And the grounds for arrest are as strange as his action: Lina is to be arrested under the accusation of... being Lina Inverse.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/07/slayers4.jpg)Later, at an inn, Lina and Gourry are counting the money they got (and of course their eating habits haven't changed a bit), while Zel and Amelia come in, along with this other person, who then identifies himself as an inspector. A moment later, he arrests Lina! And the grounds for arrest are as strange as his action: Lina is to be arrested under the accusation of... being Lina Inverse.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/slayers5.jpg)The rest of the group thinks about a "strategy" to fight in court, but all they get is to get Lina mad, and then she just kicks them. While Zel suggests that Lina would be hard to arrest, the inspector has some aces up his sleeve, including calling a whole army. Of course, those kind of people aren't much for Lina, who just wipes them with a Mega Brand spell.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/07/slayers5.jpg)The rest of the group thinks about a "strategy" to fight in court, but all they get is to get Lina mad, and then she just kicks them. While Zel suggests that Lina would be hard to arrest, the inspector has some aces up his sleeve, including calling a whole army. Of course, those kind of people aren't much for Lina, who just wipes them with a Mega Brand spell.
|
||||
|
||||
The group decides to run away but their advance is stopped by the arrival of a huge tank-like machine, although "slow as a tortoise". The battle rages on, destroying most of the town as well. When Lina is about to pull something off, voices echo from above. A... _thing _(I can't really describe that creature) casts a Dragon Slave, destroying everything in sight. Of course Lina is mad, and all because that one stole _her scene..._
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -13,4 +13,4 @@ categories:
|
|||
In preparation for my trip to Japan (I really need to write about it), I have spent a few euro on a digital camera, a Canon Powershot A590. It looks like a decent camera, has a viewfinder (essential for me), some manual customization and of course it works with Linux (using [digikam](http://www.digikam.org)). Here are two examples, depicting no less than my two felines:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/img_0004.jpg)[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/img_0005.jpg)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/07/img_0004.jpg)[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/07/img_0005.jpg)
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Today I was adjusting a bit the layouts of the Activities ([as defined in Plasma
|
|||
It was then that it occured to me that such applets are, in Plasma-speak, PopupApplets, which means they adjust their behavior depending if they are in a panel or "free". Also, I knew that Plasma had panel auto-hiding. 5 seconds later, I had a solution that fit my tastes, as this screenshot shows:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/plasma_activity.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2008/12/plasma_activity.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ tags:
|
|||
- tears to tiara
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
So I've heard that _Tears to Tiara _is coming in animated form. Being in the middle of playing its PS3 incarnation, _Tears to Tiara - Kaikan no Daichi_, I decided to take a look at some images that have been [recently published on news.dengeki.com](http://news.dengeki.com/elem/000/000/145/145775/). It was already known that the anime would be an adaptation of the PS3 game, which is a good thing (I didn't like the original character design). Animation is done by _Oriental Light and _Magic (OLM), and the same staff who adapted another Aquaplus game, _Utawarerumono_ (or should I say _Underwater Ray Romano_ ? *snicker*).
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -23,17 +23,17 @@ So I've heard that _Tears to Tiara _is coming in animated form. Being in the mid
|
|||
|
||||
As the first image suggests, the character designs follow the PS3 game, although with some exhibit evident differences from the game (and honestly, I liked the game's designs more). For example, Arthur looks like this in the two versions:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Although I dare say that it's Gaius that changed the most: from a battle veteran (and a _general_), we get someone like this:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Hardly a look for a general...
|
||||
|
||||
As for the rest, though, according to what is shown in the Dengeki preview of the first three episodes, the team has tried to be rather faithful to the story, up to almost replicating the same shots, as shown here:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Quite similar indeed. Knowing the team, I fully expect a faithful "conversion" nevertheless, although I hope they don't turn Arthur into the Oboro of _Utawarerumono_ (mostly used for comic relief).
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -40,11 +40,11 @@ plasmapkg -i ../plasma-genesearch.plasmoid[/bash]
|
|||
|
||||
After that you will see an "Entrez Gene Searcher" in your add applets dialog. Once added, it'll look like this:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Pretty horrible, isn't it? Well, once you get past that, you can input an ID (only IDs will work for now) in the text field (which doesn't clear the text: see further on) and push "Go!". The following is an example with ID 10000, which corresponds to the human gene _AKT3_:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
"Search again" will bring you back to the search form.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ Speaking of getting noticed, forum user **TheBlackCat** is our idea submitter ch
|
|||
|
||||
How is the Brainstorm faring this month? Has the initial enthusiasm faded out? The simplest way to look at it is by viewing the number of votes over the days, as shown by the followng graph:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
This is a time series of number of ideas for each day of the month. As we can see, the data is a little "noisy", because the number of ideas posted have been fluctuating depending on the user submissions. The dashed line is the median of the votes in the considered period. We can see one big drop at the start, which was in my opinion "expected" when the novelty effect wore out. With ups and downs, however, the stream of new ideas has been more or less constant. If you would like additional statistics, feel free to suggest them in the comments.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -25,15 +25,15 @@ Compared to the previous implementation, System Settings now has two operational
|
|||
|
||||
Screenshots are better than words so here goes (click for larger pictures):
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/icons-with-tooltip.png)[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/classic-with-tooltips.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2009/05/icons-with-tooltip.png)[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2009/05/classic-with-tooltips.png)
|
||||
|
||||
What's more is that by searching you get a nice "highlighted effect" to indicate the match (clearly visible in this icon view screenshot):
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/icons-search.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2009/05/icons-search.png)
|
||||
|
||||
Lastly, the about screen:
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/ss-about.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2009/05/ss-about.png)
|
||||
|
||||
The best about this new System Settings implementation is that it was born **thanks to the KDE Community Forums. **[A thread posted on January 29th](http://forum.kde.org/showthread.php?tid=29091) about a KControl port was what started the collaboration between bcooksley (one of the forum admins) and msoeken (Kourse mentor on the forums). And that is the - remarkable - result: input from the community that was converted into actual code which ended up in KDE's SVN. The two worlds are closer now.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -42,13 +42,13 @@ This month's top idea poster is still **TheBlackCat**, who again posted an incre
|
|||
|
||||
It's been two months since the KDE Brainstorm has launched. How it is going now? This month we have not one, but _two_ graphs to describe the posting of ideas in relation to time.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
This is, as usual, the plot of the ideas posted per day. As you can see, the number change rather drastically, and the median (a little better than the mean in such irregular data) is around 7 ideas/day. With respect to the past month, the number of ideas posted per day are less, but again, we have to consider the launch of the project, which undoubtedly skewed the results, due to the large input of ideas in the first days.
|
||||
|
||||
Still, it's not like we can gather meaningful insights from a plot like this. So, thanks to the aid of fellow forum staff Hans (Mogger on IRC), we have the second graph for this Digest:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
This is a sliding average calculated with a window of 3 days. As you can see, we can gather better information from there. Save two periods of the month (the two negative peaks in the plot) most of the ideas were close to the mean number of votes (the dashed line is the mean of the average number of votes). Although less than the last month, we can say that the project is alive and kicking. Again, the feature freeze in KDE may also explain the decrease in the number of posted ideas: we'll see with next month's trends.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Today, a major upgrade of the [KDE Community Forums](http://forum.kde.org) took
|
|||
|
||||
The new forums, powered by [phpBB](http://phpbb.com), have a whole new theme, heavily inspired by KDE 4.3's "Air" Plasma theme:
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/newoforum.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2009/06/newoforum.png)
|
||||
|
||||
Not only the looks have improved, however. A number of features have been added:
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ Not only the looks have improved, however. A number of features have been added:
|
|||
|
||||
The popular section "KDE Brainstorm" has also received improvements, such as the ability of having a neutral vote, an improved voting pad, and a brand new look to match the one of the forums.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/brainstorm.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2009/06/brainstorm.png)
|
||||
|
||||
As a final note, we would like to thank phpBB developers cs278, naderman and NeoThermic for their kind assistance and great support during the migration process. Thanks a lot!
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ The KDE Brainstorm, where users can post and vote for feature requests for KDE,
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -43,13 +43,13 @@ What about this month's top poster? You may not believe it, but it's not TheBlac
|
|||
|
||||
No monthly stats this time. Instead, I'll show you the progress of the ideas since the start of the project and until today:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
This was calculated with a sliding window average of 4 days. The dotted line indicates the median number of ideas submitted per day. As you can see, the number is around 5 ideas per day, save the first big burst. I think it's OK for now, because the number of ideas posted does not tell anything about the discussion going on in the already submitted ones, nor if ideas have been implemented, and so on.
|
||||
|
||||
Speaking of ideas, our physicist-to-be on the team, Hans, has plotted a distribution of the frequency of the number of ideas per day:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
That's all for now - I hope to be more regular in the future, now that we have a reliable stats. By the way, if KDE users (but developers too!) want more statistics, let us know!
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ A good part of the KDE community knows at least little about Nepomuk, and its ab
|
|||
|
||||
Up to now, the usual way to tag files was to either select them in batch and add a tag, or do them individually, then click "Add tag", then select the tag or create a new one. It was kind of laborious, although not too complicated. And that's where [Drop2Tag](http://kde-look.org/content/show.php/Drop2Tag?content=111943) comes in.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Drop2Tag stays in your desktop, configured for one of your Nepomuk tags. Then, you just need to drag files to it to have them automatically tagged. Also, clicking on the big Nepomuk icon will open your file manager with the nepomuksearch://hasTag URL with the selected tag. Neat.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ In line with the project's committment to openness, the KDE developers and contr
|
|||
|
||||
So far, all that was just a passing thought in someone's mind. Not anymore... because today I'd like to introduce the newest initiative by the KDE Community Forums, in cooperation with other members of the KDE community: **KDialogue!**
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
(image courtesy of forum staff member Hans)
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ Voila'. In the end, you'll get something like this (slightly different):
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -31,6 +31,6 @@ Overall I'm very impressed, so congratulations to everyone who's making this pos
|
|||
|
||||
Lastly, following up what [Stuart](http://www.asinen.org/2009/12/ill-show-you-mine/) and others did, here are two screenshots of two of my (many) activities (click for full picture):
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/activity1_full.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2009/12/activity1_full.png)
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/activity2_full.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2009/12/activity2_full.png)
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ On recent KDE SC versions (4.4 beta 2 and onwards) there are some painting issue
|
|||
|
||||
Here's a screenshot of the new interface (click to enlarge):
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/danbooru_new.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2009/12/danbooru_new.png)
|
||||
|
||||
Comments and suggestions are always welcome, so don't hesitate to drop me a line.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ tags:
|
|||
- games
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
It's been a while since I blogged about anything non-FOSS. This time I'll be sharing some impressions on one of the games I'm playing at the moment, that is,** Ar Tonelico III** (which arrived at my doorstep two days ago). I admit I haven't been a fan of Gust games (aside from Ar Tonelico, they're known mostly for the _Atelier_ series), mostly because technically wise they didn't really perform that well. While I understood they're a small company, sometimes it was a little too much.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ tags:
|
|||
- Science
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://akademy.kde.org)
|
||||
[](http://akademy.kde.org)
|
||||
|
||||
My Akademy talk proposal was not accepted, but the organizers were kind enough to offer me the chance to hold a BoF on the same subject. Now I bet you wonder on what I'm going to discuss, and I think the title already gives you an idea:
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -23,19 +23,19 @@ Bear in mind that everything for now is running on a testing server, to make sur
|
|||
|
||||
Upon logging in, you will be greeted by a new "New Post" button:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
You can either click on the arrow to quickly post an idea for Brainstorm, a new discussion, access the "getting started" forum or contact the staff:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Or if you just click on the button itself, you access the guided post section:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
The "Share an idea" and "Chat and discuss" buttosn will bring you to the relevant forums (Brainstorm and Discussions and Opinions), while "Ask a question" will bring about an additional screen:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
You'll be able to select your favorite application and you'll be able to post directly in the relevant forum.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ tags:
|
|||
- open beta
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
On Septemer 1st the open beta of Square Enix's new MMORPG, [FINAL FANTASY XIV Online](http://www.finalfantasyxiv.com) was launched. I've been playing its predecessor since December 2003, although nowadays my presence is limited to doing the "missions" (quests that advance the main storyline). Of course I was interested in the "new MMO" in the works at Square since it was mentioned in 2006. When the official release was announced, I preordered the so-called Limited Collector's Edition (it comes with nice items inside, along with an in-game item). I also hoped to get accepted for the closed alpha and beta test phases.
|
||||
|
||||
|
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|
|||
|
|
@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ Our first step is to create a simple UI to show how KIO works. It will be a text
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
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|
|||
|
|
@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ As the stuff is somewhat past prototypal stage, I thought I would push somewhere
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
As you can see, it's a minimal dialog: just select your source video file (any file supported by VLC will do), the number of screencaps, the destination directory, and the program will do the rest. Currently it works _somewhat_ OK (see caveats below) and is good enough for my use cases.
|
||||
|
||||
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|
|||
|
|
@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ tags:
|
|||
- galaxy angel
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Recently I had the opportunity of viewing a DVD that I had bought in 2006 but never had the chance of seeing: it was the third season of _Galaxy Angel_, of which I had already viewed the first two years before. After viewing it, I realized I could have viewed it sooner, as I liked it quite a bit. Not only that, but I brought myself up to speed by getting what was left in the series, that is the second half of the third season (marketed by Bandai Visual as _Galaxy Angel AA_) and the fourth and final season (known in the English speaking market as _Galaxy Angel X_).
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Well, I found the whole franchise quite good: and after having explored also oth
|
|||
|
||||
## Galaxy Angel? What was it about?
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
I was initially aware of the whole matter when _Project G.A._ was announced by BROCCOLI (for those who don't know, it is, or at least used to be, a large merchandising company which also owned the _GAMERS_ anime chain until very recently) at the Tokyo Game Show in 2000.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -41,11 +41,11 @@ It was only years later that I bought the animated series, in 2004, that is when
|
|||
|
||||
### Season 1 - Galaxy Angel
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_first/GA_first_1.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_first/GA_first_3.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_first/GA_first_10.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_first/GA_first_2.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_first/GA_first_1.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_first/GA_first_3.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_first/GA_first_10.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_first/GA_first_2.png)
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_first/GA_first_4.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_first/GA_first_14.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_first/GA_first_11.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_first/GA_first_15.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_first/GA_first_4.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_first/GA_first_14.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_first/GA_first_11.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_first/GA_first_15.png)
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_first/GA_first_16.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_first/GA_first_16.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -69,11 +69,11 @@ Sometimes the fact that the episodes end without a real conclusion can be surpri
|
|||
|
||||
### Season 2 - Galaxy Angel Z
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_second/GA_second_47.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_second/GA_second_20.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_second/GA_second_21.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_second/GA_second_23.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_second/GA_second_47.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_second/GA_second_20.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_second/GA_second_21.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_second/GA_second_23.png)
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_second/GA_second_27.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_second/GA_second_28.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_second/GA_second_64.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_second/GA_second_50.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_second/GA_second_27.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_second/GA_second_28.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_second/GA_second_64.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_second/GA_second_50.png)
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_second/GA_second_38.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_second/GA_second_38.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -96,33 +96,33 @@ However if I were to pick, parody-wise, two episodes from this series, I'd defin
|
|||
|
||||
The first of the two is an all out reference to the "magical girl" series, where the Angels (and Volcott, too!) try to use a magic stick that would grant a wish to a truly believer in magic. This somehow ends up in a sort of clip where lots of historical shows are referenced, as shown in the images below.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_1.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_2.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_3.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_4.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_1.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_2.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_3.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_4.png)
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_5.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_6.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_5.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_6.png)
|
||||
|
||||
The series reference relatively recent productions such as _Doremi_, but also real antiquities (for the Japanese, at least) such as _Megu-chan_ (the Italian readers of this blog may know it as _Bia e la sfida della magia_), touching also video games. How many references did you find in the image shown above? [This video shows all of them](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA-BYHp8Ku0). As you can see are quite a lot. The song is also performed by a veteran of such series.
|
||||
|
||||
The second parody episode I mentioned instead is a reference to _super sentai_ series, where the Angels have to fight as a group known as the "Angel Five". Also this episode compresses a full-length _sentai_ 52 episode series in little less than fifteen minutes.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_7.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_8.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_9.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_10.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_7.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_8.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_9.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_10.png)
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_11.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_12.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_13.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_11.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_12.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_13.png)
|
||||
|
||||
Almost all the cliches are touched, including also a reference to the first _Kamen Raider_ series and the always present narrator that tells how things go on. Oh, and I should not forget about the obligatory mecha scenes (with the combination of the girls' 紋章機 - _monshoki _or rather _emblem frames_ - referencing the usual lack of budgets of these series). Just like the previous episode, there's even a specific song for the various scenes.
|
||||
|
||||
The last mention for this series is the last episode, _final dish REBECCA_, which is actually full-length. In contrast with most of the series, there's not a single trace of humor. It's like one of the few serious episodes scattered through the series but in a more coherent and longer form.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_14.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_15.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_16.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_third/GA_third_17.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_14.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_15.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_16.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_third/GA_third_17.png)
|
||||
|
||||
Despite the difference, the essential psychology of the characters is not changed at all (in fact some bits reminded me of the game) and the whole story fits perfectly as ending of the series (open ended, also with Masami Okui and JAM Project's _In the Chaos_ as ending song). If _Galaxy Angel_ had to end there, _final dish REBECCA_ would have been ideal. By the way it was done, I also feel that this season was to be the last one, but the decision changed only later on.
|
||||
|
||||
### Season 4 - Galaxy Angel X
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_1.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_1.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_3.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_4.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_1.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_1.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_3.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_4.png)
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_5.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_6.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_7.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_8.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_5.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_6.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_7.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_8.png)
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_9.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/GA_fourth/GA_fourth_9.png)
|
||||
|
||||
The last of the seasons is also the one of the most absurd, because the parody and nonsense elements increase dramatically. Usually it's impossible to predict where an episode would end up to being, because aside the initial settings they almost go completely random (but they're rather funny). The craziness affects even episode titles, which become tongue-twisters that also play on assonance: an example 非凡平凡チョコボンボン (_Hibon Heibon Choko bonbon, _translatable as _Extraordinary, ordinary chocolate bonbon_).
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ To be very brief, watching this series, even now taht many years ahave passed, i
|
|||
|
||||
## The video games
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
It is somewhat less known that _Galaxy Angel_ had also a series (three) of game counterparts, in fact part of the all round strategy devised by BROCCOLI. Unlike the animated series, however, none of these have been translated to English (actually, such a translation was planned, but hastily canned when BROCCOLI USA closed up shop).
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ While the story has a more serious tone, it has also many comical moments that r
|
|||
|
||||
Speaking of characters, Chitose appears in _Moonlit_ _Lovers_, and as I wrote before she has a completely different personality, the one of an elite soldier but so fresh that's not capable of adapting (let alone in a carefree unit such as the Angel Tai). She still has a good deal of humorous scenes, though: her interplay with Milfeulle or with Forte in their respective scenarios is quite funny.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Let's go over the battle part a bit. In these sections, the player is thrown in a 3D battlefield, having to control the Angels, the command ship (the Elsior) and optionally other friendly units (this only from _Moonlit Lovers_ onwards). Units can be selected and orders given (in this case, the visual switches to a zoomable 2D map). Each unit has a series of gauges that indicate their status: the Hull gauge indicates how badly the unit in question is damaged, the Energy how much energy it has (the Angels' _monshoki_ can be resupplied by coming within reach ot the command ship) and for the Angels only, the Spirit gauge. The last one fills when damage is dealt or received, and once full can be use to unleash a powerful special attack which varies depending on the pilot (or in the case of Vanilla, to repair all units). Although the _monshoki_ are rather powerful, some careful planning is due, especially in _Moonlit Lovers_, where the enemies are in much larger numbers. Aside that, there isn't much else to control. The camera can be switched to the various units (useful if you want to check their performance or watch the specials).
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ Next, open KOrganizer, locate the list of the calendars, right click on an emtpy
|
|||
_
|
||||
_
|
||||
|
||||
__
|
||||
__
|
||||
|
||||
_
|
||||
_
|
||||
|
|
@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ In the next screen, select "DAV Groupware resource", then a wizard will come up.
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ In the following screen, choose _Configure the resource manually:_
|
|||
_
|
||||
_
|
||||
|
||||
__
|
||||
__
|
||||
|
||||
_
|
||||
_
|
||||
|
|
@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ Click on _Finish_, but you're not finished yet. In fact, we will have to add mor
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ In the next screen we'll have to add what's needed for our calendar to work. In
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -21,21 +21,21 @@ Sometimes Christmas presents are really unexpected, and today I found out I was
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](/wp-content/uploads/idolmaster/idolmaster_1_reduced.jpg)
|
||||
[](/images/idolmaster/idolmaster_1_reduced.jpg)
|
||||
|
||||
Of course, having such a box means that there's a lot of stuff inside. In fact, once opened, there are two game BDs (one being the actual game, the second being the first volume of _Gravure for you!_ starring Haruka), a soundtrack (no songs, though), a booklet, a number of postcards (mine were showing Iori's ending from episode 2 of the TV series), a booklet and also the first BD of the anime version:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](/wp-content/uploads/idolmaster/idolmaster_2_reduced.jpg)
|
||||
[](/images/idolmaster/idolmaster_2_reduced.jpg)
|
||||
|
||||
It turns out the BD is also one of the limited editions, with a nice cover and more goodies, including a small booklet and a CD with the songs heard in the episodes:
|
||||
|
||||
[](/wp-content/uploads/idolmaster/idolmaster_3_reduced.jpg)
|
||||
[](/images/idolmaster/idolmaster_3_reduced.jpg)
|
||||
|
||||
And here are the postcards:
|
||||
|
||||
[](/wp-content/uploads/idolmaster/idolmaster_4_reduced.jpg)
|
||||
[](/images/idolmaster/idolmaster_4_reduced.jpg)
|
||||
|
||||
What about the game itself? Well, I have played it only briefly so far: I know it will be a bit painful to translate since the text is timed (having it stop, like in _Neptume mk.2_ is quite handy if you don't catch something at first) and well, kind of different than the games I played so far. Still, in my opinion the various characters make it a worthwhile challenge.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -51,6 +51,6 @@ After a quick talk on IRC, the task proved to be easier than expected. What I di
|
|||
|
||||
Lo and behold, this is what happens after downloading one such image from Danbooru Client, in Dolphin (notice the "is related to"):
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Clicking on the link will open in Dolphin all items related to the board in question. Neat, isn't it? Of course, I'm very willing to add other features like that if there's interest. Also, critiques on the approach are most welcome!
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -22,21 +22,21 @@ Although the release of openSUSE 12.3 is yet to come, the people of the openSUSE
|
|||
|
||||
One of the changes that started off already is the development of a new Plasma theme and color scheme. Based on the original [Produkt theme](http://kde-look.org/content/show.php/?content=124213), it has been adapted to be better integrated with openSUSE's customary green:
|
||||
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1003" align="aligncenter" width="300"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/snapshot4.png) Widget view[/caption]
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1003" align="aligncenter" width="300"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2012/10/snapshot4.png) Widget view[/caption]
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/snapshot1.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2012/10/snapshot1.png)
|
||||
|
||||
Aside from general changes, theming has also been extended to the new logout dialog from the next release of the KDE Workspace (4.10) which will be in openSUSE, and to the logout screen:
|
||||
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1002" align="aligncenter" width="200"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/snapshot3.png) Lock dialog[/caption]
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1002" align="aligncenter" width="200"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2012/10/snapshot3.png) Lock dialog[/caption]
|
||||
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1001" align="aligncenter" width="200"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/snapshot2.png) Logout dialog[/caption]
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1001" align="aligncenter" width="200"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2012/10/snapshot2.png) Logout dialog[/caption]
|
||||
|
||||
Last but not least, the theme extends to the alt-F2 launcher (KRunner) and to the system tray (shown is the new QML system tray from Plasma Workspace 4.10):
|
||||
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1006" align="aligncenter" width="175"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/snapshot7.png) System tray[/caption]
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1006" align="aligncenter" width="175"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2012/10/snapshot7.png) System tray[/caption]
|
||||
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1005" align="aligncenter" width="253"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/snapshot6.png) KRunner view[/caption]
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1005" align="aligncenter" width="253"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2012/10/snapshot6.png) KRunner view[/caption]
|
||||
|
||||
Don't forget that everything is **a work in progress**.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -41,18 +41,18 @@ Without further ado, let's get down to seeing what's improved.
|
|||
|
||||
<!-- more -->
|
||||
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1030" align="aligncenter" width="584"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/snapshot12.png) Desktop view[/caption]
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1030" align="aligncenter" width="584"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2012/11/snapshot12.png) Desktop view[/caption]
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1032" align="aligncenter" width="584"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/snapshot13.png) Desktop with System Settings and Dolphin[/caption]
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1032" align="aligncenter" width="584"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2012/11/snapshot13.png) Desktop with System Settings and Dolphin[/caption]
|
||||
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1026" align="aligncenter" width="584"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/produkt1.png) Notifications and system tray[/caption]
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1026" align="aligncenter" width="584"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2012/11/produkt1.png) Notifications and system tray[/caption]
|
||||
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1031" align="aligncenter" width="300"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/produkt3.png) Dolphin with the new theme[/caption]
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1031" align="aligncenter" width="300"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2012/11/produkt3.png) Dolphin with the new theme[/caption]
|
||||
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1027" align="aligncenter" width="584"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/produkt2.png) Add widgets controller[/caption]
|
||||
[caption id="attachment_1027" align="aligncenter" width="584"][](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2012/11/produkt2.png) Add widgets controller[/caption]
|
||||
|
||||
Of course feedback is always appreciated: there's still time until openSUSE 12.3 ships, so be sure to let us know what can be changed so we can make this a truly awesome visual experience for openSUSE KDE users.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ Lastly, I got word that [Kate's Pate](http://kate-editor.org/2012/06/26/extendin
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/pate_py3.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2012/12/pate_py3.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ tags:
|
|||
- neptune
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/mmBvi.jpg)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/mmBvi.jpg)
|
||||
|
||||
A few days ago I finally completed (after about 3 months) 神次元ゲームネプテューヌV, or "Kami Jigen Game Neptune V", the latest instalment from Compile Heart in the Neptune franchise of PS3 games. It took quite a while (approximately 3 months), and I think it's about time to wrap things up.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -61,16 +61,16 @@ A few years after Mk2's story. The goddesses are enjoying a totally peaceful lif
|
|||
## Story
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/25.jpg) [
|
||||
](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/26.jpg) [
|
||||
](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/32.jpg) [
|
||||
](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/39.jpg)Neptune V has been marked as return to the roots of the original, but I wouldn't go and say something like this. The original was very disjointed, events weren't in order most of the time and the flow of the game suffered as a result. Mk2 had a more tight storytelling and a coherent plot. People didn't like it that much, but I personally feel that while not absurd as the original, it was definitely a step up. So, how does V's plot fit in these two extremes?
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/25.jpg) [
|
||||
](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/26.jpg) [
|
||||
](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/32.jpg) [
|
||||
](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/39.jpg)Neptune V has been marked as return to the roots of the original, but I wouldn't go and say something like this. The original was very disjointed, events weren't in order most of the time and the flow of the game suffered as a result. Mk2 had a more tight storytelling and a coherent plot. People didn't like it that much, but I personally feel that while not absurd as the original, it was definitely a step up. So, how does V's plot fit in these two extremes?
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/26.jpg)The main story is full of wacky moments, wall breaking events and so on. However the story has a definite direction and almost never loses it during the course of the game. The true end route (out of 3 available) manages to pick up all the questions in the story and answers them in a decent fashion. I was kind of worried a couple of events I witnessed would have not been referenced again, but they actually did.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/26.jpg)The main story is full of wacky moments, wall breaking events and so on. However the story has a definite direction and almost never loses it during the course of the game. The true end route (out of 3 available) manages to pick up all the questions in the story and answers them in a decent fashion. I was kind of worried a couple of events I witnessed would have not been referenced again, but they actually did.
|
||||
|
||||
There isn't a single theme in the story. In Mk2's piracy was the strong underlying message, but here there's nothing similar in Neptune V. Console war gets mentioned but just as verbal infighting between characters. Basically V is its own thing.
|
||||
|
||||
As for the ending itself, It brings closure to the whole story, but may feel anticlimatic after what has happened before. However I believe it's intentional (Neptune later laments that [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/38.jpg)even being the main character in the end she didn't manage to much - and that remark springs another wacky conversation). While objectively can be considered a good ending, from a **purely personal point of view** I prefer Mk2's True Ending. As a minor complaints, a couple developments in the story feel forced, like a plot device. The characters, despite being archetypes, have sufficient depth. Most conversations are hilarious, especially when Noire's around (and Asami Imai does a wonderful job - but more on the voice actors later).
|
||||
As for the ending itself, It brings closure to the whole story, but may feel anticlimatic after what has happened before. However I believe it's intentional (Neptune later laments that [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/38.jpg)even being the main character in the end she didn't manage to much - and that remark springs another wacky conversation). While objectively can be considered a good ending, from a **purely personal point of view** I prefer Mk2's True Ending. As a minor complaints, a couple developments in the story feel forced, like a plot device. The characters, despite being archetypes, have sufficient depth. Most conversations are hilarious, especially when Noire's around (and Asami Imai does a wonderful job - but more on the voice actors later).
|
||||
|
||||
Same with the Seven Sages, they're sufficiently present to appear as something more than cardboard boxes. However the game at a certain point mismanages the behavior of some them, and there are a couple of puzzling developments that are in contrast with what happened in the game up to that point (mostly deal with Anonedeath and Akudaijn). Nothing really big, but it rubbed me the wrong way.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ Overall, the story is good, is fun and lasts more than enough. Can't really comp
|
|||
## Characters
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/uTbY2.png)Much discussion went around how different the goddesses from GC 1989 are from GC 2012. Well, in the end the goddesses of GC 1989 are different from the GC 2012 counterparts, from subtle differences to drastic changes in behavior. They're generally likable, though I assume some of the fans of particular characters may be disappointed. Let's have a rundown:
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/uTbY2.png)Much discussion went around how different the goddesses from GC 1989 are from GC 2012. Well, in the end the goddesses of GC 1989 are different from the GC 2012 counterparts, from subtle differences to drastic changes in behavior. They're generally likable, though I assume some of the fans of particular characters may be disappointed. Let's have a rundown:
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ Overall, the story is good, is fun and lasts more than enough. Can't really comp
|
|||
* **Noire** - Less [Tsundere](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsundere) and more [Tsukkomi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukkomi#tsukkomi). GC1989 Noire can be summed up like this. She's really fun to watch her desperate attempts to keep the situation under control or fighting to have Pururut's attention as a friend with other characters. Her most memorable quotes come from exchanges with Neptune and Pururut;
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
* **Blanc** - Her behavior has a lot of differences from her 2012 counterpart. Gone is her interest in books, and she's definitely a less of a shut-in. She still has a short temper and in goddess talk she really trash talks as usual. She likes to pick on Noire and other characters when she notices the flaws in their reasoning;[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Neptune_HDD.png)
|
||||
* **Blanc** - Her behavior has a lot of differences from her 2012 counterpart. Gone is her interest in books, and she's definitely a less of a shut-in. She still has a short temper and in goddess talk she really trash talks as usual. She likes to pick on Noire and other characters when she notices the flaws in their reasoning;[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/Neptune_HDD.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
* **Vert** - She probably the one that is most similar to the original Gamegyokai counterpart. The differences are present but are more subtle.
|
||||
|
|
@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ Overall, the story is good, is fun and lasts more than enough. Can't really comp
|
|||
* **Nepgear** - The description on the character page on the official site about her being demoted and treated badly by almost everyone has generated a lot of misunderstandings. In the end, it's not as bad as it seems. There are a few recurring gags about her, but she's no different from the other characters in the end. Even her supposed lack of self-confidence is nowhere to be seen (maybe in one case), and in several scenes she shows the same determination she gained in Mk2;
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
* **IF & Compa** - As I previously mentioned, Compa stays pretty much the same, but IF's been really downgraded: instead of the volitive, often sarcastic person from the original and mk2, her personality is kind of weak-willed, something I really disliked. They're just side characters, so their impact is limited, though;[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/idJoU.png)
|
||||
* **IF & Compa** - As I previously mentioned, Compa stays pretty much the same, but IF's been really downgraded: instead of the volitive, often sarcastic person from the original and mk2, her personality is kind of weak-willed, something I really disliked. They're just side characters, so their impact is limited, though;[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/idJoU.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
* **Uni** - I mention the candidates because they're still present, despite their limited "screentime". Uni retains her extreme tsundere tendencies, as usual aimed at Nepgear. There are a couple amusing moments with her and Noire in the True End, but I won't spoil them. What's interesting to note is that Eri Kitamura almost radically changed Black Sister's way of speech compared to Mk2. I think the change was for the better, too bad she doesn't appear that often;
|
||||
|
|
@ -130,11 +130,11 @@ Overall, the story is good, is fun and lasts more than enough. Can't really comp
|
|||
## Gameplay
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/29.jpg)The system is a modified version of the Mk2's battle system. AP are gone, SP are treated like MP, and so on. It works for the average player, and that's what is most important, but it should be noted it's easily exploitable for the more experienced players. The Combo system works decently, without offering too many options like in the original game.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/29.jpg)The system is a modified version of the Mk2's battle system. AP are gone, SP are treated like MP, and so on. It works for the average player, and that's what is most important, but it should be noted it's easily exploitable for the more experienced players. The Combo system works decently, without offering too many options like in the original game.
|
||||
|
||||
The change of the goddess transformation (eating a chunk of your SP and lasting for the whole battle or until you explicitly cancel it) is a good balance between the original and Mk2, and the fact that in most battles the party starts already in goddess form is a welcome addition.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/6muCf-Imgur.jpg)The Kenbusha/Observer/Scout system is somewhat promising but still needs a bit more refining: the only way to make time pass is to enter and exit dungeon, an unnecessary hurdle. Also the results are somewhat too random, especially when the player is aiming for a precise objective. The Flag system is underutilized, since its most prominent feature is to change the strong monsters that roam the dungeons, and it's probably the way it'll be used by the majority of the players.
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/6muCf-Imgur.jpg)The Kenbusha/Observer/Scout system is somewhat promising but still needs a bit more refining: the only way to make time pass is to enter and exit dungeon, an unnecessary hurdle. Also the results are somewhat too random, especially when the player is aiming for a precise objective. The Flag system is underutilized, since its most prominent feature is to change the strong monsters that roam the dungeons, and it's probably the way it'll be used by the majority of the players.
|
||||
|
||||
The Jump feature...is pretty much useless. Save a couple times, it has no uses save for the character challenges.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -142,13 +142,13 @@ Another underutilized feature is the Disc Make System. It's optional, and may co
|
|||
|
||||
The Processor Parts continue to show the problem that was present since the beginning of the game: it's impossible to compare the entire set statistics with another set, unless someone writes them down. That limits a lot their usefulness, so they'll probably get ignored again.
|
||||
|
||||
Item synthesis plays a much bigger role than in Mk2. Most of the items are available only as blueprints (either bought, obtained via bosses/events or dungeons) and aren't available in shops until they've been created at least once. Therefore it's essential to scout for the items needed, especially since most monsters in the game inflict some kind of status ailments or status down. Save for the most rare stuff, it's not really a chore.[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/10.jpg)
|
||||
Item synthesis plays a much bigger role than in Mk2. Most of the items are available only as blueprints (either bought, obtained via bosses/events or dungeons) and aren't available in shops until they've been created at least once. Therefore it's essential to scout for the items needed, especially since most monsters in the game inflict some kind of status ailments or status down. Save for the most rare stuff, it's not really a chore.[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/10.jpg)
|
||||
|
||||
The game is definitely more challenging than Mk2, but I wouldn't say it's extremely hard, if you know what you're doing. Sometimes a little grinding is required, but nothing big.
|
||||
|
||||
The EXE DRIVE system works and in general the removal of AP translates in a bigger use of skills than before. There are useful and not-so-useful ones, but it's another choice in the hands of the players, so I think the overall result is positive. The Lily Rank and share systems are completely optional now, though using them to get bigger advantages in battle is always welcome. Shares tends to shuffle a lot of story reasons, so it's important to keep them in check.
|
||||
|
||||
Most of the flaws in the gameplay are nothing to scream about, but the lack of more save points inside the story sequences is one. Given their length (some can be over 40 minutes long!) it would have been a better idea to add mid-save prompts.[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/review.jpg)
|
||||
Most of the flaws in the gameplay are nothing to scream about, but the lack of more save points inside the story sequences is one. Given their length (some can be over 40 minutes long!) it would have been a better idea to add mid-save prompts.[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/review.jpg)
|
||||
|
||||
The overall judgement on the gameplay is that even with some flaws, it's generally enjoyable. Certain parts needed more polish for sure, but in general it's encouraging to see how much Compile Heart is progressing, despite V not being as a big leap as Mk2 was.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ The overall judgement on the gameplay is that even with some flaws, it's general
|
|||
## Graphics, Music, Voice Acting
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/pururut.jpg)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/pururut.jpg)
|
||||
|
||||
Compile Heart boasted about the character graphics being closer to [Tsunako](http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=53451)'s (the original character designer) artwork, and that's true, to an exent. They're better animated and definitely more detailed than before. The frame rate though is still somewhat incosistent, and sometimes it'll appear as the characters skip a few frames of animation. The EXE DRIVE and more powerful skill animations are instead well done and don't suffer the problems of the normal battle/dungeon exploring.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
@ -192,6 +192,6 @@ In general DLC for V has been hit or miss, we'll see what happens with the Maker
|
|||
|
||||
Neptune V, while not being as "revolutionary" as Mk2, manages to improve the formula without being stale. The story is funny, the characters are likeable, and the gameplay is sufficiently good to provide an enjoyable experience. Therefore, I say it's a recommended choice for the fan of the franchise.
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/8zq8E.jpg)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/8zq8E.jpg)
|
||||
|
||||
As a mark my review is 8 out of 10. Highly recommended.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ And that's exactly what you can do now. Alin and shumski from the openSUSE KDE t
|
|||
|
||||
Some screenshots for the impatient:
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/snapshot11.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/snapshot2.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/snapshot31.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/snapshot41.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/snapshot11.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/snapshot2.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/snapshot31.png) [](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/01/snapshot41.png)
|
||||
|
||||
And of course, the download links (EDIT: now fixed for good!):
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -26,11 +26,11 @@ I would like to stress that Apper is **not** meant as a full blown replacement o
|
|||
The Apper program is actually divided into two pieces: the main application itself and a plasmoid. We've been testing the plasmoid the past weeks and consensus is that it's not yet ready to be pushed to users, so only the main application will get installed by default.
|
||||
When you have new updates, an icon will pop in the system tray informing you:
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/apper-notification.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/02/apper-notification.png)
|
||||
|
||||
Clicking on it will bring up the main interface, where you can review and select the updates:
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/apper-updates1.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/02/apper-updates1.png)
|
||||
|
||||
Afterwards, the update process will start.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ tags:
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/757111961.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/04/757111961.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Despite being a minor release, more than 100 bugs were fixed, in particular there were many KDEPIM fixes touching both the low level stack and KMail/KAddressbook/Kontact. Some highlights on the fixed issues:
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ There's also a Python binding made using SWIG: I've yet to play with it.
|
|||
The libexword developer has also created some GUI tools to mimic the Windows EX-WORD tools (which, it must be noted, work only with the Japanese dictionaries). You can get them at the [exword-tools git repo](https://github.com/brijohn/exword_tools). The procedure for installing them is the same as above (including the modification to configure.ac). You'll need the development headers of wxWidgets, however, as this is a GUI application.
|
||||
|
||||
After installing, you can launch ExwordLibrary, ExwordTextLoader and ExwordLibraryInstaller. The latter is required to install new dictionaries, and unfortunately involves getting a [Windows executable](http://github.com/downloads/brijohn/libexword/exword_decrypt.zip) and placing it under PREFIX/share/exword, where PREFIX is the path you gave to the libexword configure script. This also means you need wine to run it.[
|
||||
](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/exwordlib.png)
|
||||
](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/05/exwordlib.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
Once that is done, you can use the library application:
|
||||
|
|
@ -133,13 +133,13 @@ Once that is done, you can use the library application:
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/exwordlib.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/05/exwordlib.png)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
or the installer to install dictionaries:
|
||||
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/exword-dict.png)
|
||||
[](http://www.dennogumi.org/images/2013/05/exword-dict.png)
|
||||
|
||||
And that's all. I hope this has been useful for using your electronic dictionary with Linux!
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ where `ipAddr` was a Text element.
|
|||
|
||||
And that's how is the final result (mimicking the other widget I took it from):
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
There are still a number of issues, for example getting the right size when started, and ensuring it's not resized to a too little size. But I was surprised that it was so easy.
|
||||
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -40,18 +40,18 @@ Everything went out smoothly and I got the unit in about 5 days.
|
|||
|
||||
<ul class="clearing-thumbs small-block-grid-3" data-clearing>
|
||||
<li>
|
||||
<a href="https://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_20140525_202729.jpg">
|
||||
<img data-caption="The unit, closed" src="https://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_20140525_202729-300x225.jpg">
|
||||
<a href="https://www.dennogumi.org/images/2014/05/IMG_20140525_202729.jpg">
|
||||
<img data-caption="The unit, closed" src="https://www.dennogumi.org/images/2014/05/IMG_20140525_202729-300x225.jpg">
|
||||
</a>
|
||||
</li>
|
||||
<li>
|
||||
<a href="https://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_20140525_202838.jpg">
|
||||
<img data-caption="The unit with lid opened" src="https://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_20140525_202838-225x300.jpg">
|
||||
<a href="https://www.dennogumi.org/images/2014/05/IMG_20140525_202838.jpg">
|
||||
<img data-caption="The unit with lid opened" src="https://www.dennogumi.org/images/2014/05/IMG_20140525_202838-225x300.jpg">
|
||||
</a>
|
||||
</li>
|
||||
<li>
|
||||
<a href="https://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_20140525_203404.jpg">
|
||||
<img data-caption="The laptop running on the 'Leisure' activity" src="https://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_20140525_203404-225x300.jpg">
|
||||
<a href="https://www.dennogumi.org/images/2014/05/IMG_20140525_203404.jpg">
|
||||
<img data-caption="The laptop running on the 'Leisure' activity" src="https://www.dennogumi.org/images/2014/05/IMG_20140525_203404-225x300.jpg">
|
||||
</a>
|
||||
</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ It was in that occasion that I discovered QML for desktop applications. It has s
|
|||
Fast forward to today. The application has almost reached an alpha state and it more or less works. Without further ado, a screenshot!
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
### [](https://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/danbooru.png)What works, and what doesn't?
|
||||
### [](https://www.dennogumi.org/images/2015/02/danbooru.png)What works, and what doesn't?
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
The basic functionality is there:
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ This redesigned C++ version brings a few more features compared to the PyKDE4
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
Click on the image below to have a demonstration of what's in this release (**warning**: 2M GIF file):
|
||||
[](https://www.dennogumi.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/tmp.gif)
|
||||
[](https://www.dennogumi.org/images/2015/02/tmp.gif)
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
## Downloading
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
Reference in a new issue